25 comments:

The MLB.com article notes that the deadline (which we've been hearing is "midnight Thursday") is "midnight at the end of Wednesday. So, they do it differently than the Canadian Blog Awards. Of course, this may be irrelevant now, but they still could be negotiating--in mid-air, mind you--right now.

Well, it's finally over. ... I think Theo Epstein got an absolute bargain, and should be celebrated by Red Sox Nation. ... I think they deserve a tickertape parade in Boston.

They get a 26 year old pitcher, who by most estimation is one of the top 5 to 10 pitchers in the world. They lock him up at Meche money on the payroll to a long term deal, and outplay Boras in the process.

As a Yankees fan, I'm not looking forward to facing the Sox when Daisuke's on the mound these next 6 years. It hasn't been easy for me to watch this unfold, as I've devoted a year of my life to promoting this player to the American public only to see him land with my arch rival ...

I don't remember where I saw this now, but I heard an EEi host was telling people to go there to greet him. (This was actually hours after I emailed someone I know who works near there and told them to get their ass over there.)

I'm glad the Sox got the pitcher they wanted, and glad Boras didn't screw his client, and glad that the Sox didn't cave out of self-imposed pressure to sign the guy. But Gil Meche actually has shown that he can pitch in the big leagues, and Matsusaka hasn't, no matter how many glowing scouting reports have been circulated. Matsui was supposed to be a big home-run hitter, remember? Not in the Majors, although he proved to be an excellent player. Remember the hype over "Fat Toad?" he supposedly threw 100mph. He didn't in the US. It kills me to listen to Orestes Destrade rave about Dice, when he himself was a "can't miss" bust coming out of the Japanese leagues.

Was the contract as good as the Sox could reasonably expect, given Boras, the hype, and the ridiculous posting fee? Absolutely.

Was it a steal?If MattyII turns out to be a steady 17-20 game winner in his first three years, I'll be ready to call it a steal. Until then, it's only a gamble.

Jack, I recently thought like you about this guy. And it's good to be cautious. But now that the plane's at 8,200 feet, on its final descent, I'm psyched!

Make that 6,200. Oh, wait, back up to 29,000. Steinbrenner's weather-machine is in motion, people. Oh, nope, back down again. That had to be a glitch or something. You don't go up 13,000 feet in less than a minute and back down again. Unless Daisuke took the controls for a second and did some gyro-piloting. Is there anything this guy can't do??

It's all a gamble, Jack. Every single signing is a gamble. You may not approve of this one, but it hardly seems to warrant this level of venom. Maybe separate your feelings about Scott Boras from the fact of the Red Sox getting this pitcher.

Japan is not the minor leagues, you know. He's technically a rookie, but he's not a rookie to big-league ball.